Personal Watercraft Rental Tips
For those who wish to enjoy the thrills of a personal watercraft, but aren’t ready to own one of their own, renting can be a great way to try out PWC riding. Renting is also a good option if you don’t intend to ride a PWC that often. However, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind when renting a PWC.
Island Watersports of Fenwick Island is your Delaware personal watercraft, serving Ocean City and Salisbury, Maryland. Below, you’ll find our top tips on what to do when you want to rent a personal watercraft.
Which Type Do You Want?
There are a number of different personal watercraft manufacturers, including Kawasaki®, Yamaha® and Bombardier Recreational Products. There are also a few different styles of PWC on the market. You’ll want to determine which type would work best for you.
There are stand-up and sit-down styles. Stand-up PWC are typically only usable by one rider at a time, can often go faster and they usually require a little more skill to operate. Sit-down PWC are better for beginners and those who want to take a passenger or two along for the ride. These models offer more storage space for your gear and usually a wider deck or platform that you can use for swimming preparation.
Rent on Location or Haul to the Water?
You can either rent a PWC at the body of water where you plan to use it, or you can rent a model at a dealer and use a trailer to haul the PWC to and from the water. It’s usually less expensive to rent on location, since you won’t have to worry about the added cost and liability of the trailer.
What Are the Limitations?
Most personal watercraft rental locations will require those who rent the crafts to be at least 21 years old and the operator of the PWC needs to be at least 18. Operators must also have valid driver’s licenses. Typically, any additional passengers must be at least 44” tall and over the age of six with the ability to reboard the PWC without any assistance. Weight limits for single riders are usually about 275 pounds, while a weight limit of 500 pounds is standard for three riders.
What Else Should I Know?
When riding a PWC, it’s important that every passenger wear a personal flotation device (PFD), otherwise known as a life jacket. All PWC have a kill-switch that will connect to your life jacket or your wrist which will shut off the PWC if you fall in the water. The throttle is used to operate the PWC and it’s typically a trigger located on the right handlebar, while the left handlebar has a green start button and a red stop button. There are no brakes on a PWC; to stop, you’ll have to slow down well in advance of where you need to stop.
Looking to rent a personal watercraft? Stop by our dealership in Fenwick Island, DE, today to view our current stock of PWC rentals. We also offer personal watercraft for sale with financing options available if you'd rather buy one of your own. Island Watersports proudly serves all our Delaware customers as well as those of you coming from Salisbury and Ocean City, MD.